


Only Human

by MinLu



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action, Angst, Canon Universe, Drama, Feelings, Gen, No Romance, Oneshot, Songfic, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27742903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinLu/pseuds/MinLu
Summary: Kikyo and Bankotsu are human, and yet they cannot be.
Kudos: 1





	Only Human

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of the song  
> ”[Human](https://youtu.be/r5yaoMjaAmE)” by Christina Perri

**Bankotsu**

_But I'm only human_

_And I bleed when I fall down_

_I'm only human_

Whistling as he carried his demonic halberd through the forest where he had heard rumors of a great boar yōkai residing within, Bankotsu stabbed Banryu into the ground and stopped in a clearing to examine his surroundings. Oversized hoofprints dotted the landscape, accompanied by multiple areas of trampled shrubbery and scarred tree trunks. The teenage mercenary grinned, he had found the demon pig’s stomping ground. Pulling his blade out of the earth, Bankotsu pointed it at the sky, gathering a mass of angry black clouds. “Ryūraisen!” he shouted, and multiple arcs of yōkai lightning crashed into the forest from the sky, causing birds and deer to flee from the disturbed woods. Bankotsu landed on his feet gracefully after the sky cleared, finding himself face to face with an enormous boar, which radiated tendrils of wrathful yōki off of its thick black hide. 

“Foolish mortal!” the boar growled, “You’d dare attack me with a demonic blade?!” Pawing the earth with its iron hooves, the demon dropped its head and pointed its large horns in the teenager’s direction. “You will pay for your disrespect!” 

There was an unwritten rule associated with demon weapons. _Never let a human wield one_ . Banryu was no exception— locked away and sealed where no common man could touch it. As a young boy, Bankotsu had been intrigued by this yōkai halberd, constantly sneaking into the catacombs where it was hidden to stare at his reflection in the oversized blade, admiring the weapon’s enchanting beauty. Yet, he had been told scornfully one evening after inquiring about it, that it was impossible for a single _human_ man to even lift such a magnificently malevolent power, nevermind actually use it in battle. The halberd’s master would need to be very strong— strong as a demon. 

Bankotsu had learned to be strong ever since his childhood, where he was surrounded by the doubt of his seniors. Even under the scrutiny of the people around him, he defied his human destiny and wielded the demonic halberd Banryu better than any second rate yōkai by the time he was fourteen. They had told him that its power was too much. Too heavy. Too big. The little warrior boy would be crushed under the overwhelming pressure. But Banryu accepted him; it did not try to stifle his ambitions— his autonomy as his own man. The halberd was his pride and joy. But even then, it never stopped the little voices in his head. 

_I'm only human_

_I'm only human_

_Just a little human_

Scowling as he held Banryu aloft with one arm, spinning the oversized halberd like helicopter blades before bringing it downwards to slash the nape of a sentient boar yōkai. Roaring, it reared its ugly head and charged forward, the scarlet rivulets which poured from it’s wound already trickling to a stop as it’s demonic super-healing kicked in. Bankotsu grunted. ‘The regenerating ones are always the worst,’ he muttered. 

Bracing himself for the impact, Bankotsu held his blade out in front of him like a shield. The yōki infused metal absorbed the brunt of the attack, but the boar was relentless in its pursuit of victory. 

“Insignificant human!” the boar howled, “You’d dare challenge a yōkai to a battle of strength?! Know your place!” Charging again, the boar successfully threw Bankotsu’s fragile human body into a clump of bushes, where he landed on his elbow. Wincing as searing hot pain shot up his left arm, Bankotsu rubbed his newly broken limb mournfully. The throbbing ache served as a bitter reminder. 

_I can take so much_

_Until I've had enough_

‘Is this the end?’ Bankotsu asked himself, for the thousandth time in his life. Time and time again, he would challenge humans, hanyōs, and yōkai, and he would come out on top. An act of defiance against the goddess of fate up above, to show _them_ , to show _everyone_ , that he was _only human_ , but it wouldn’t stop him— not even over his dead body. He’d come crawling back from the very depths of Hell if that’s what it took to take his destiny into his own hands. 

“No,” Bankotsu decided, “This is not the end.” He struggled to his feet, and pulled Banryu out of the ground, then pointed it at the boar yōkai. Glaring, he unleashed a guttural battle cry and leaped forward, his trusty halberd pulsing with energy. “Banryūsen!” And the forest was enveloped with blinding white light, as the boar yōkai was incinerated by the blast. 

**Kikyo**

_And I crash and I break down_

_Your words in my head, knives in my heart_

_You build me up and then I fall apart_

_'Cause I'm only human, yeah_

Inuyasha had made her feel like a normal girl for once. With him, she could laugh and cry and _smile_ from the bottom of her heart. The hanyō had made her feel like more than just a divine maiden on a glorified pedestal of perfection. One day, Kikyō hoped that she could bind her very life to him for eternity, through marriage, after the Shikon Jewel had been purified and Inuyasha had turned mortal. But that dream had been trampled by his sudden betrayal on the day she had secretly gone to bring him the jewel. _Of course_ , he didn’t want to become human. Who did? Being human was miserable, saddled with a fickle heart that was so easily broken into one million tragic pieces.

Kikyō was summoned from her daze by the desperate cries of an elderly villager. Stumbling into the clearing where the clay priestess was musing, the graying man whimpered and threw himself at her feet. “Please, I beg of you, Priestess! The great boar guardian’s restless spirit has been terrorizing our humble village. Please, you are the only one who can save us!” The man sobbed and groveled before Kikyō urged him to raise his head. Sitting on his haunches and facing the legendary priestess, he clasped his sweaty hands together and wet his lips. “ _Please_.” 

“There is no need to fret,” Kikyō smiled softly, placing her hand on his trembling shoulder. “Of course I will save your village.” With her promise, the man beamed and eagerly showed her the way to his home. Following his lead with well-practiced ethereal strides, Kikyō already knew what she had to do. 

_Be your number one_

_I can fake a smile_

_I can force a laugh_

Kikyō wondered if she enjoyed being a priestess. The people loved her, they sang her praises as the legendary miko who had purified the Shikon Jewel, before giving her life to have it disappear for all eternity with her body. She wasn’t a _normal_ girl— she was much more. She could do so much more than any _normal_ girl could; Kikyō was a goddess who had descended to earth to ease people’s pain. 

_I can dance and play the part_

_If that's what you ask_

_Give you all I am_

When she arrived at the village, the clay priestess had already sensed the beast’s unrest. Waves of malevolent yōki rolled through the streets and invaded the people’s houses, spreading disease and killing crops. Its spirit trampled about, howling in despair and harboring great hatred for mortal men. What may have previously been a proud protector of the surrounding forests was reduced to a raging demon that desired only destruction. 

Kikyō took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly, before drawing an arrow from her quiver and nocking it in her large wooden bow. Aiming at the yōkai’s heart, she pulled the arrow back until her bowstring was taunt, then released the shot with all of the elegance and strength of the goddess Artemis. Her heart pounded in her chest as her mind silently chanted a mantra over and over. 

_I can do it_

_I can do it_

_I can do it_

Her arrow flared with pink reiki as it flew towards its target in a straight line, striking the enraged boar’s heart. With one last terrible roar, the yōkai shuddered and then dispersed into the atmosphere, it’s restless spirit purified by the sacred arrow. All around her, the villagers emerged from their homes and cheered, throwing their hands in the air and shouting with joy. The legendary priestess had done it again because she was perfect. She never missed a shot. She never showed fear or hesitation in the face of the enemy. Idolized for her divinity, Kikyō could never be _only human_ — even if that’s exactly what she was. 

_But I'm only human…_


End file.
